Rail transport is optimistic about public policies to support the sector

DIARIO DEL PUERTO

FERROVIARIO - The III Foro Multimodal Euskadi, organized by BCLM, Federation of Logistics and Mobility of the Basque Country, analyzed yesterday in Bilbao the sector.

Despite the weak penetration of rail freight transport in the modal split, a progressive increase is perceived, motivated both by public policies to support the sector, and by the approach of supply to a demand that trusts in a greater efficiency of its services.

BILBAO: "The railway sector is changing from the supply side because, for the first time within the ministerial plans, with the Plan Mercancías 30, milestones have been established for the promotion of intermodality". Juan Diego Pedrero, executive president of AEFP (Association of Private Railway Companies), opened with this reflection the round table on current issues in rail freight transport held yesterday in Bilbao within the framework of the III Foro Multimodal Euskadi, organized by BCLM, Federation of Logistics and Mobility of the Basque Country, integrated by the Association of Ship Consignees and Stevedores of the Port of Bilbao (ACBE); ATEIA Bizkaia-OLT, ATEIA Gipuzkoa-OLT, the Pasaia Port Users Group (Giport) and UniportBilbao.

Ports, railway nodes

"Up to now, the offer has been scarce in services, such as multi-client services, and what we are talking about is to massify and concentrate loads, since there is not enough density for these multi-client trains," commented Pedrero, who said that private railway companies have focused 75% of their offer towards concentration in ports. "That is the biggest contribution of the railway companies," said Pedrero, who attributed to the ferroport traffics a great potential.

Public aid

Pedrero based his optimism on the recent support given by the Administration to the sector with subsidies of up to 40% for investment in rolling stock, which have allowed the companies to face important investments in locomotives, wagons and other equipment, which will allow them to put into service 1,932 wagons (600 for rail freeways) and locomotives with enough power to pull trains of 750 meters in length.

However, there is still a long way to go, as pointed out by Jon Zubía, managing director of Tecniruta-Concisa (Transportes intermodales), who provided the view of the shipper or user. "This year we have suffered the lack of drivers, who have gone from goods to passengers," said Zubía, who warned of the shortage of human resources and training plans: "We have the material means but we lack the human resources and management". In addition, Zubia recalled, with constructive eagerness, the situation of the TECO of Bilbao, "with queues of hours that even force us to pay penalties for the impossibility of taking the containers".

Machinists and training in the debit side

The optimistic vision of Asier Varona, managing director of Servicios Intermodales Bilbaoport (SIBPort), was also ratified by the fact that SIBPort, a company formed by the Bilbao Port Authority, Noatum and Transitia, which manages the terminals of Júndiz, Arasur and Pancorbo, also manages from Tuesday the shunting service from Bilbao Mercancías to the Port of Bilbao.

Felipe Mendaña, general manager of Railway Terminals "Inland" of COSCO Shipping Ports, joined the optimism of his colleagues and applauded the MITMA aids to the sector, although he emphasized training as a "pending issue".

THE FACT

75%

rail transport. Private rail operators focus 75% of their offer on port concentration, according to Juan Diego Pedrero, executive president of AEFP.